


Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose

by Aleatory



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Language of Flowers, M/M, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Secret Admirer, Secret Past, afraid to admit feelings, and they were neighbors (oh my god they were neighbors), anna is trying to hook gabriel up, flower shop, fuck i barely remember how to use tags at ao3 staff im so sorry, lovestruck gabriel, mentioned Destiel, reappearance of an abuser, two crushes are the same person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-05-02 11:14:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14543499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleatory/pseuds/Aleatory
Summary: Gabriel can't resist sending his new neighbor and crush- not that Gabriel gets crushes, he doesn't- a bouquet. He doesn't intend for Sam to read it as a love letter from a secret admirer. He doesn't intend to keep sending them either, but watching Sam grow increasingly lovestruck over a mystery poet is the closest he's ever going to get to telling Sam how he really feels- not that Gabriel has feelings, he doesn't- and to being with someone as incredible as Sam. But Sam is more than just a pretty face with a heart full of flowers; he has a lot in his past that's starting to catch up to him. And it all comes down to red roses.





	1. Mayflower

**Author's Note:**

> If you've never read my fic before: Hi there! Please try to forgive my sporadic updating, expect more detailed notes and trigger warnings at the start of each chapter, and if you could, leave a comment here and there. I'm a sabriel-aholic so if you ever want to chat about our good ship, I'm on tumblr at aleatoryw. That's all have fun!
> 
> If you've been reading for a while: LMAO STRAP IN THIS IS GONNA BE A WILD RIDE. YOU GUYS GET IT.

Gabriel was a fairly patient person. That said, he was about ready to march down the hall and take his new neighbor’s pitifully howling dog outside himself. It wouldn’t be a very good way to introduce himself, but it’d been a long week and he just wanted to watch CSI reruns in relative peace. Gabriel rubbed his temples. It was only Wednesday. And this was a dog-free apartment, dammit.If he couldn’t have a dog, he shouldn’t have to listen to anyone else’s. He leaned back against the front of the couch, contemplating just going to bed before ten for the first time in months.

The dog down the hall let out a couple more barks and then a low, drawn-out howl, and Gabriel’s patience finally gave out. He hefted himself off the floor, unlocked his apartment door, strode down the hall to apartment six, and pounded on the door. When it swung open, he was fully prepared to give whoever answered a piece of his mind. 

He was not prepared to be greeted by a very apologetic _, very attractive_ man holding back an eager but sweet looking golden retriever by the collar. “God, I am so sorry about the barking, if that’s what you’re here about.” Hot neighbor was very soft-spoken, contrasting his broad build. His hair was nearly shoulder length, chocolate brown, and his upper arms, peeking out from under his t-shirt sleeves, spoke to regular workouts and probably- no, definitely- the ability to fuck Gabriel against a wall. Hello then. Gabriel nearly zoned out for a moment, but caught himself as the lumberjack kept talking. 

“We just moved in and Bones is a nervous howler. I’ve been trying to calm him down all evening, but the new place just has him really unsettled.”

Gabriel blinked. “You named your dog Bones?” 

Hot neighbor laughed a little, almost nervously. “Hardly. He came with the name. I think I’m going to take him out for another lap around the block, so he won’t bother you again tonight. I’m really, really sorry you had to come over here. I mean it.”

He had better puppy dog eyes than the actual dog, and Gabriel felt the last remnants of his anger melting away like the last of the winter’s snow. “Hey, not a problem, uh…”

“Sam.”

“Sam.” Gabriel repeated. “I just wanted to see if everything was alright. I’m something of a dog person myself. Gabriel, by the way.” He offered his hand, and Sam stood up straight to take it. Gabriel had about two seconds to appreciate that not only was Sam muscled and gorgeous, he was also tall, deliciously tall, probably a full eight or nine inches taller than Gabriel was- and then the retriever knocked him flat on the floor.

“Oh, no, Bones!” Sam yelped somewhere above him as Gabriel closed his eyes against a barrage of eager licks to the face. “I’m so sorry, I forgot--” Sam’s voice wobbled as he dragged the dog back off Gabriel’s chest partway, but Bones was eager enough that Sam ended up on the ground too, one knee on either side of Gabriel’s thigh, pulling the retriever back to his chest. “I am so, so sorry, I didn’t mean to let go of his collar.” Poor Sam looked like he might actually start crying, and Gabriel hurriedly squirmed away and sat up. 

“Hey now, it’s okay. Like I said, I’m a dog person. He just got a little excited, didn’t you, boy?” Gabriel grinned and reached forward to rub his hands behind the dog’s ears. Sam gave him a watery smile in return, clearly relieved Gabriel hadn’t been angry about the dog. 

Gabriel pulled himself to his feet. “So this has been a hell of a way to welcome you to the neighborhood, and I’m not going to accept it.” He offered his hand to Sam for the second time, this time helping him to his feet, and also truly appreciating those hands for the glory they were. “How would you like to have dinner at my place this weekend?”

Sam shifted. “I’d love to. But…” Gabriel raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue. “I just feel like I should warn you, I’m kinda nervous around new people. I’m not sure I’ll make great company.”

“Aw, don’t worry about it. My sister always said I have enough personality to make a whole party. I’d like to welcome you to the building, if you’re free Saturday.”

A slow smile, the first real one Gabriel got to see, lit up Sam’s face. “Sounds wonderful.”

“Six thirty sharp, apartment number four, coconut tilapia. You still in?” Gabriel paused for a second, hoping it didn’t sound too much like a date invitation. Gabriel didn’t do “dates”. Gabriel did wine, dine, hit it, quit it. As much as he’d like to take Sam to bed Saturday night, he wanted to be subtle about it, especially considering he didn’t even know if Sam swung his way. “You can bring a plus one, if you’ve got one.”

“No, just me and Bones.” 

Gabriel only barely resisted the urge to fist pump. “Hell, bring him.”

“I will.” Sam had an absolutely perfect smile, too, like a ray of sunshine reaching across his face as his soft, pale lips curved upwards. “Thanks.” Sam dragged Bones away from where he was sniffing Gabriel’s socks with far too much interest and clipped on a leash. “I’m going to take this poor boy outside again.”

“Good night, Sam.” Gabriel stood in the doorway as Sam pocketed his keys and locked his door, waiting _just_ long enough for Sam to brush past him and reveling in the feeling of Sam’s very solid body. 

“You too.” Sam and Bones trotted past, and Gabriel watched them go with an almost eager gleam in his eye. Even in sweatpants, Sam had a fantastic ass. Oh, he’d made a good decision coming down the hall. And if all went well, he was going to have a fantastic Saturday night.

 

* * *

 

Despite telling himself all day Friday not to get his hopes up, Gabriel was practically skipping by Saturday evening. He had dinner prepped by six, and spent half an hour working on the atmosphere. Gabriel’s apartment was small, the perfect size for one person and two bird. (Sylvie’s cage had to be moved into the bathroom to keep her away from the dog, and she’d chattered at him in protest. For a bird that was only five inches long, she was filled with a lot of rage.)

Gabriel had accumulated a lot of junk over the years, but most of it could be tucked away in the closet or on one of his many bookshelves.He likely had more bookshelves than books. The living room, with all its dark wood shelves and tacky red vinyl seating, was to the left of the entryway, and the kitchen was to the right. However, there were hardly any walls dividing them, leaving Gabriel free to carry his quote and unquote from his sister “god-awful, fifties diner meets hotel room from the seventies” décor straight into the kitchen. Gabriel thought it suited him. The dull beige cupboards and plain white countertops hadn’t been cutting it. 

The hallway was straight ahead, and while Gabriel had dimmed the lights in the other rooms tonight, he’d left the hall light on, practically laying out a neon sign pointing in the direction of the bedroom. Candles, he had decided, were too much, but he put out his nicest dishes, the ones he used when Anna came over so that she would think of him as a competent adult, and a striped tablecloth leftover from a thanksgiving party five months ago. He’d even stepped outside briefly and plucked a few early spring flowers from the tall grass behind the apartment building, small, white things, and put them in a flute glass in the center of the coffee table. The living room was spotlessly clean so the retriever- Bones, was it?- would have room to lie around. And his room, he noted with a touch of pride, was tidied to the point where Sam would be impressed _and_ he could find the lube in under seven seconds. He was getting _very_ ahead of himself.

Question number one was if Sam was even interested- while straddling Gabriel’s thigh hadn’t seemed to bother him, there was still the possibility he was straight, or just didn’t sleep with people he barely knew. Sam had seemed friendly, but still a little guarded, and Gabriel understood that. He wasn’t very open either, although his outward persona made him come off as such. There was an art to being outgoing and outspoken without wearing his heart on his sleeve, and Gabriel had mastered it. As loud as he was, few people knew about his personal life.

He was yanked out of his train of thought by a knock at the door, and he drew a deep breath and slicked back his hair before going to answer. 

Sam greeted him with a soft smile. “Hey!” He had a good grip on Bones’ collar this time, thankfully, because while Sam nearly pinning him had been nice, Gabriel didn’t want to fast track the evening. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some dessert.” If Sam was going to be this considerate every time, they might have to do this again.

“How the hell could I mind something like dessert?” Gabriel held the door open and took the precariously balanced platter from Sam’s left hand. “Glad you made it.”

“Not like it’s very far.” Sam cautiously let go of the dog’s collar, only to catch him again a minute later when he lunged for Gabriel. “Down boy, come on.” Sam knelt down to rub Bones’ ears while Gabriel put the pan- lemon bars- in the fridge, and from across the room, Gabriel couldn’t help but glance over at him. Sam was absolutely jaw-droppingly hot, from all angles, and he looked damn good in a simple plaid button down. There was a day or two’s worth of stubble across his sharp jaw, giving him a ruggedly handsome look, and his hair fell in soft waves, framing his face. He looked like the kind of person Gabriel could bring home to family, if he were into that sort of thing, but also the kind of person who could chop wood, build a fire, and fuck Gabriel on the rug in front of it. And those jeans were definitely not doing Sam’s ass any harm. 

“He’s alright. I’m braced for impact this time,” Gabriel said as he stepped back into the living room. Sam quirked an eyebrow at him, but let the dog go, and Bones was across the room in a split second, standing up to lick Gabriel’s face and then sniffing him up and down. “Such a polite boy, huh?” Gabriel commented idly, pushing the dog back down to all fours. “How’d you convince the landlord to let you keep him here? I’m not allowed to have anything bigger than Sylvie.”

“Sylvie?”

“She’s a lovebird. Normally her cage is out here in the living room, but I locked her in the bathroom because of the dog. She’s a total asshole and she’ll yell at you if you go in to take a leak, but I love her.”

“She sounds adorable. I’ll definitely have to go look at her. Wine?” Sam held up the bottle sitting on the table, and when Gabriel nodded, twisted off the cap and started pouring. Sam was winning him over far too quickly, with that shy little smile.

“So where did you move here from?” Tilapia out of oven. Potatoes back in oven.

“I’m from Lawrence, Kansas.” Sam put the bottle down and scratched at his shoulder as though unsure what to do with his hands. Gabriel could give him some suggestions. “My brother still lives there.”

“You two close?”

“Very. We talk on the phone a couple times a week.” Sam chewed at his lip as Gabriel brought the fish to the table, traced his fingertips along the metal edge of Gabriel’s refurbished diner table as Gabriel mentally ordered the peapods to cook faster.“I’m sorry,” Sam said abruptly.

“You don’t have to help, I invited you over.”

“It’s not that, I just wanted to be better conversation, is all.” He stared down at his hands, still sweeping across the table’s edge almost nervously.

That gave Gabriel pause. Did Sam really think he had to apologize for a lull in the conversation? Gabriel gave up on the peapods for the time being and turned to face his guest. “I’m having a wonderful time so far,” Gabriel said lightly. “Want me to tell you about my siblings?”

Some of the tension eased out of Sam’s shoulders. “I’d love to hear it.”

As they finished prepping dinner and started eating it, Gabriel quickly found that Sam was a wonderful listener. He genuinely wanted to hear Gabriel talk, and with a little encouragement that yes, his stories were welcome too, he started opening up a little more. Sam was kind-hearted, with a dry sense of humor that revealed itself slowly as his shyness eased off, and his smile dulled in comparison to his laughter, which lit his whole face and spilled over into the rest of his body. Gabriel’s heart quickened a little when Sam’s hand brushed his as they cleared the dishes.

It almost felt too easy. Sam was laughing at his terrible jokes for Christ’s sake. 

They moved to the living room for dessert, and that was when things took a turn, but not necessarily for the worse.

“Oh,” Sam’s breath left him in a rush, “Mayflowers!”

“Come again?” Gabriel sat down on the red vinyl while Sam stood there in the doorway, bliss on his face. 

Sam crossed the room and gestured to the vase of tiny white flowers on the coffee table. “I haven’t seen any of these yet; where did you find them?”

“Behind our building, there’s a row of trees with tall grass around ‘em. Why, you been watching for these to come in?”

“Well…” Sam shuffled his feet a little, chewing his lip again while he looked for words. Gabriel was starting to like it, which was probably not a good idea considering he intended to spend one night with Sam, but in his defense, it was _precious._ Gabriel patted the couch seat next to him, and Sam sank into it heavily. “It wasn’t this flower specifically that I was looking for.”

“Go on,” Gabriel urged.

“I like to see which flowers bloom first every year. It’s just this nerdy little thing I do, that’s all.” Sam’s face was pink by now, but he hadn’t been this outright eager about anything all night.

“You seemed pretty excited about the, uh, pilgrim flowers there. I think this is more than a mild interest you got going there, Sam. Tell me more?”

“Mayflowers are some of the first flowers to bloom all across the Midwest and east coast, and they’re hard to find, but I love them. A lot. They’re so delicate and…” Sam trailed off, shrugging a little as he bit into his lemon bar.

“So you do have a hobby, then!” Gabriel crowed excitedly. Sam was blushing, trying to brush it off as a pastime, but Gabriel could see the passion in his eyes, and he wanted as much as he could get. “I won’t judge you, Sam, cross my heart.”

“It is a hobby, I guess. I’ve always been interested in flowers, so I started learning as much as I could about the different species that grew in my area, and when they would bloom. My brother made fun of me so much for it, but every spring I’d keep a notebook of which ones I’d seen. Mayflower was always one of the first. I sketch them, and note where I found them and everything. I’ve got a new journal started for this year, if you really want to see it, but it’s pretty empty.”

“Mmm, maybe later in the year when you’ve got a whole book full.” Gabriel found himself saying the words without even thinking. He’d just set himself up to meet with Sam again, in the long term. And Gabriel didn’t _do_ long term. Fuck.

“I was just really excited to see Mayflowers here, in this context because…” Sam broke off. 

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “What about them?”

“Mayflowers mean beginning, which I always liked because it welcomed me to spring.” Sam pushed a hand through his hair. “But here, it means something more like hospitality- a welcoming beginning.” He popped the rest of the lemon bar in his mouth as Gabriel digested the information. 

“I had no idea they fit the situation so well.”

“At least, I assume that’s the situation, the beginning of a friendship,” Sam added, trying and failing to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

“Hell yeah,” Gabriel shot back. “Let me tell ya, you’re way cooler than the rest of the neighbors. Mrs. Jacobson next door? Looks like a sweet old lady but she steals my newspapers and pounds on the walls whenever I play music. And god, don’t get me started on the couple upstairs- I know everything about their lovers spats. But you? I think you’ll be fun.”

“Thanks.” As Sam spoke, Bones stood up and crossed the living room to put his head in Sam’s lap. “We should do this again. I’m not much of a cook, but do you wanna have takeout at my place next weekend?”

Gabriel nodded eagerly before he’d even finished thinking the idea through. “Sounds great. There’s a really good Mexican place just a couple blocks over, if you dig that.” 

“I do.” Sam stood and stretched. “I better take Bones outside. Wanna call it a night?”

“I’ll call it a night if you’ll give me your number. I don’t wanna have to come knocking next time.” Gabriel grinned as he offered Sam his phone.

Sam grimaced in response. “Yeah, I’m still sorry about that. He’s really settled down a lot since two days ago.” Sam has to reach down to scratch the retriever’s chin, which Gabriel shouldn’t like as much as he does, but god, he’s always been a sucker for tall men.

“It’s alright, bucko. I’m just glad you’re both settling in okay.” Gabriel decided on one last attempt at steering the conversation towards his bedroom. “If you need me to help with anything, I’m pretty good at moving furniture.”

Sam didn’t pick up on it. “Thanks, I think I’m alright. I’m something of a light traveler, so I just have a few more boxes to sort through.” He picked up both wine glasses and carried them to the sink, Bones following at his heel. Gabriel trailed a few feet behind. The night was turning out very differently than he’d planned, but _Sam_. Sam was even better than he could have hoped for.

Sam passed Gabriel his phone back once they reached the kitchen, but didn’t let go for a second, so they stood, facing each other, hands millimeters apart. “I just wanted to thank you for having me over. I know it probably wasn’t that big of a deal, but… I don’t really have any friends here. I’ve been eating alone for the past few weeks, and the only people I really talk to are a few of my coworkers and my brother. So…” Sam let go of the phone and scratched the back of his neck. “Thanks for putting up with me. I really enjoyed talking with you.”

Gabriel would hardly call it ‘putting up’ with Sam, but his new friend was already stepping out the apartment door, one hand on the dog’s collar. “I’ll text you later in the week, if that’s okay?”

“Totally okay. Good night!” As the door swung shut behind him, Gabriel sank down into one of his metal kitchen chairs, settling his chin in his hands. Sam hadn’t picked up on any of his subtleties, meaning he was probably straight. And while Gabriel was big on friends, and had loved talking with Sam, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to get close with someone he was so, so attracted to.

But he was Sam’s only friend now. And there was no way Gabriel was going to leave the guy friendless in a new city because of what his dick wanted. He’d wait until Sam was a little more settled in before asking if they could go the ‘hey, just as friends, just this one night’ route. That way if he ruined things between them forever, as he had before, it wouldn’t matter much.

He cleared the rest of the dishes and hummed to himself as he went down the hall to bed. 


	2. Lavender Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel, an idiot: This action, combined with my inability to talk about my feelings, will not backfire at all!

That Thursday had to be the most boring day of Gabriel’s whole workweek. No one had called, emailed, or sent him a good old fashioned snail mail all day, and he was still waiting to hear back from several people about how things were going down at the plant, re: would there or would there not be an opportunity to taste test next week. He hadn’t expected working at an ice cream company to be all sunshine and lollipops, but still, today felt like drudgery.

It was pouring outside his office window, the sky dark and miserable and matching his mood. Gabriel listened to the click of Naomi’s heels in the vinyl hallway and tapped his fingers over his keyboard idly, wondering if he should start on paperwork for next week right now. He was growing deplorably responsible. His nineteen year old self would hate his guts. Gabriel wrinkled his nose at that thought. He didn’t want to be _too_ responsible, so he pulled out his phone, cocking an ear to make sure his boss wasn’t nearby, and fired off a text to the newest number in his contacts.

- _hey its gabriel from down the hall-_

Several agonizing minutes passed before his phone vibrated in his pocket. Naomi happened to be walking past his cubicle, so he let it vibrate twice more before getting a chance to sneak a peek at Sam’s replies.

Hot Sam: _–Hey! Great to hear from you. How is your bird?-_

Hot Sam: _-That was a dumb thing to ask sry-_

Hot Sam: _-Did you still want to get takeout this weekend?-_

Gabriel smiled to himself and spun his office chair a full 180 away from the desk, facing the hallway outside his cubicle. – _hell yeah! or forget the weekend and just get thursday takeout. no rules!-_

Hot Sam: _-I looked up the Mexican place and I can swing by. What do you like?-_

_-surprise me. spicy is good ;)-_ Gabriel sent back, spinning back to his desk just as Naomi rounded the corner, heading back to her office. She gave him a narrow eyed glare, but didn’t say anything, so Gabriel assumed his job was still secure and they would continue inviting him to taste testing events. There wasn’t really need for worry- the place wouldn’t know how to get along without him anyway. 

Gabriel took the five-oh-eight bus back from the station down the block from his office every day except Friday, when he usually left early. Today was a Thursday, so he caught the bus and filtered towards the back, hoping for a still empty seat, but doubting he’d find one. He instead found a tall, broad shouldered, hazel-eyed wet dream watching the rain spitting against the window. Sam was dressed nicely, in a fitted blue button down and slacks, and he was absolutely drenched.

Gabriel squeezed through the few people standing in the aisle, stood directly in front of Sam, almost knee to knee, and waited for him to notice. It took a few good seconds, but when Sam jerked his head up and then smiled, it was like the first hint of a sunny sky Gabriel’d seen all day. “Well well, what are you doing on my bus, Mr…” Gabriel paused, searching his memory for Sam’s last name.

“Your bus? I was under the impression it belonged to the whole city.”

“I’ve taken this bus home from work every day for a few good years now.”

“I just started my job this week,” Sam explained, “and it was nice enough to walk Monday through Wednesday.” He brushed a hand through his wet hair. “I thought today would be nice too, so uh, no umbrella. Just getting from the building to the station was awful.”

“Aw, you look great, kiddo, no idea why you’re complaining!” Gabriel beamed. “Anyway, Mexican place is a stop away from our building-” he very nearly said ‘our place’- “so if you carry the food, I’ll carry the umbrella for both of us.”

“Sounds good t-” Sam didn’t get to finish, as the bus jerked forwards, trying to make it through an intersection before the light changed, and Gabriel stumbled and only barely stopped himself from ending up in Sam’s lap, one hand coming up to grip Sam’s shoulder and one of Sam’s catching his upper arm. Sam’s shoulder was wet and cold, but under the soggy button down, he was muscled and warm, and Gabriel wanted to forget about getting food. He wanted to undress Sam slowly on the living room floor and then let Sam fuck him fast and hard on the couch. His heart skipped a little at the thought. 

“I’m sorry,” Sam rushed, taking his hand away far too quickly. His eyes were still locked on Gabriel’s face. “I didn’t want you to fall.” His face had gone pink.

“You’re cool,” Gabriel assured him, standing back up and nearly stepping on the foot of the woman sitting next to Sam when the bus took a turn. “Hey, I think we’re at our stop, if you want food.” Gabriel’s thumb hovered over the stop button.

“Yes please, I’m starved.” Sam grabbed a messenger bag from between his feet and nodded up at Gabriel, who pursed his lips in disappointment and pressed the button. It had been ages since he’d had a hookup with any real passion behind it, any thrill of the chase. Getting “wanna bang” messages online, driving to some dude’s apartment or seedy hotel room, getting a quick lay, and driving home lacked some of the luster it had held when he was in his twenties. But the tension that had hovered between the two of them moments ago- brief, fully clothed, but heavy like oncoming summer air- that was exhilarating.

* * *

 

They got a whole plate of black beans and rice to share and an enchilada each and ate on Sam’s living room floor. As eager as Gabriel had been just a few minutes ago to skip eating, he realized how hungry he was the second Sam opened the bag and the smell of spices and Spanish rice permeated the air. 

Sam didn’t have a lot of furniture. He had a thick, plush forest green rug on the floor, a few throw pillows, a desk against one wall, a floor lamp, a dog bed, a stool next to the counter and not a whole lot else. There were still two or three moving boxes stacked in the corner, marked only with the initials “S.W.” The layout of the apartment was identical to Gabriel’s, but with the empty wall space and no curtains, more grey light seemed to flood the room, and even Sam, who had to duck his head slightly to get through the doorways, seemed small and lost in it.

“Sorry I don’t have a lot of places to sit. The last place I stayed was pretty tiny, and the one before that was pre-furnished.” Sam sat down cross legged on the rug, set his containers of food on the floor, and shoved Bones away. “No. Not for puppies. Go to your bed, mister. Bed.”

Much to Gabriel’s surprise, the dog turned tail and walked to his bed, toenails clicking on the hard floor. “Wow,” Gabriel said, settling down across from him. “A perfect house guest. I had no idea he was so well behaved.”

“Yeah, he’s a lot more interested in people than in food.”

“So where is this new job of yours?” Gabriel asked, unwrapping and sticking a fork into his enchilada. “You must be near west side, if you’re on the same bus line as I am.”

“I’m a legal assistant for Nelson and Hatch. The really big building on Grant Street?”

“I’ve gone past it. What’s the job entail?” 

Sam made a face. “A lot of paperwork. It’s kind of boring, really.”

“Hey, I’m in the same boat. I work at an ice cream plant and it involves _so_ much paperwork. I thought computers were gonna make paperwork obsolete.”Gabriel popped the cap off a bottle of beer and took a long sip. “But here we all are.”

Sam laughed. “It’s not all bad, I promise. Some of the cases we’re working on are really interesting, and I’m learning a lot. I wanted to be a lawyer originally, but I don’t have the degree I need yet.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “How… old are you?”

“Not a student, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“That is what I was wondering. I was an undergrad once, and I know what they’re like. And I’m not sure if I want one living in my real adult apartment.”

“‘Adult apartment’ sounds like a place where sketchy things happen.”

Gabriel held back a snort of laughter. “It does, huh?”

“Sure.” Sam grinned and stabbed his fork into a hunk of mostly tortilla. 

“So what is your deal? You said you’re from Kansas, right?”

Sam nodded, but he seemed to pick his next words carefully, as though Gabriel hadn’t asked about the least personal topic imaginable. “I moved around a lot, both as a kid and now. My dad was kind of a drifter, and he really would have preferred to leave my brother and I with our mom, but she died when I was four. So instead,” Sam paused to once again bite into the rapidly unfolding bite of tortilla on his fork and chew, “we ended up living kind of all over Kansas. I don’t think I stayed in the same school system for more than two years.”

“Geez. That’s not-”

“Ideal, no. Still got into Stanford though.” 

Gabriel let out a low whistle. “Damn, you’re edu-ma-cated! So you got what, a pre-law degree and then…?”

“And then I moved around a lot, because living on the west coast is expensive,” Sam finished.

“You miss it though?”

“A bit, yeah. It’s definitely a different culture. But honestly?” He paused to smile at Gabriel, almost shyly. “I paid a lot more attention to the wildlife than the people. I’m kind of… like that. There are a lot of preserves and hiking paths really close to Palo Alto, so I used to head out there a lot.” 

“That’s really cool, though,” Gabriel reassured. “Wish I was more into that kind of thing, maybe I’d look more like you and less like-” he thumped the front of his stomach, emphasizing how soft and round it had gotten over the past decade or so.

Sam didn’t dismiss the comment as Gabriel had expected him to. He instead looked Gabriel up and down for a second, and then, turning slightly pink, murmured “You look good.”

Every word Gabriel had ever known abandoned him and all he managed in reply was, “I- oh.”

“So what do you do for fun, then?” Sam asked, almost too abruptly. “Obviously you’re a good cook, you’ve got your bird, what else?”

Gabriel’s answer came in a relieved whoosh of held breath, but it still smoothed the conversation over into another safe topic, which was all Gabriel needed. “This and that, really. I’m in a band, but we’ve been on a break, our drummer had a baby.”

“What do you play?”

“Bass. Occasionally they make me sing. Right now we’ve swapped rehearsal nights for poker nights so I imagine when we start up again I’m gonna be rusty as hell. I suppose I should break it out and play some basic chords.” He took another swig of beer and then added brightly, “I’m also into horror movies, general mischief, and gay stuff. So, y’know, send those my way.”

Sam didn’t react to mention of his sexuality at all, just nodded. “Noted.”

The evening practically flew by, but if Sam picked up any indications that Gabriel wanted more than friendship, he didn’t respond to them. Sam was to be won over slowly or not at all, it seemed. This whole thing, this whole Sam thing, was just supposed to be a quick hookup. And now Gabriel wasn’t sure where it’s going, or if it’s going anywhere at all, but he found himself asking without even thinking it through if Sam would like to join him for a movie on Tuesday. “All evening, every showing is just five bucks. You game?”

“Obviously. Does the bus line run there?”

“I have a car, I can drive us. I just take the bus so I can read memes while I’m stuck in traffic.”

Sam laughs. “Okay. I’ll see you on the bus then. Tuesday, I mean. Probably tomorrow too, but on Tuesday we can meet up on the bus-”

“And figure out how many snacks will fit in your hoodie pockets, yeah.”

* * *

 

“Anna! My favorite sister!” Gabriel declared dramatically as he shoved through the door into her shop. The customer standing at the register looked over at him in confusion, as though the idea that the woman behind the counter might have a family and a life outside of retail was beyond him. 

The woman behind the register muttered “ignore him” under her breath as she gave him back his change, and “he’s mostly harmless we all swear” as the customer took his daisies and left the shop. “What brings you this part of town, stranger?” Anna asked, finally acknowledging Gabriel’s presence.

“What, I can’t swing by and see how the business is going?” 

“Not while I’m working, you can’t.” She leaned forward on the counter. “But I guess, since there’s no one in at the moment. How is my least favorite older brother?”

“Hey now, there’s no need for these kind of insults. I thought I was the best older brother?”

“That too.” Gabriel reached out to touch the trailing vine of a plant sitting on the stone counter, feeling the delicate leaves brush over his fingertips. Gabriel had never been a huge fan of flowers, but there was something about the ambiance of this place that made him feel at home. Maybe it was because his sister had started the business and redecorated the building herself, but Gabriel also liked to think of it as his softer side showing through.

The floral sections in groceries had never interested him, with their chilled rows of pre-cut flowers, but this place was warm and alive. Sure there were bouquets lined up by the dozen just across the room, but much of the shop was covered in live plants- potted, growing from carved out niches in the brick wall, planted in a flowerbed display behind the counter. In the back room, hundreds of different types of flowers, some already cut, others still growing, were waiting to be made into an arrangement. The stone floor practically radiated warmth where the April sunlight hit, right in front of the big display windows, and the three walls not made of brick were painted a warm, dull green. Sam would love it in here.

“You come in here to pick leaves off my perfectly healthy plants, or-”

“No, sorry.” Gabriel pulled his hands hastily away from the plant, noticing with a bit of disappointment in himself that she was right- he’d absentmindedly tugged too hard on one leaf, and it had fallen into his hand. “I actually came in here to hire you, for once.”

Anna’s eyes lit up. “Wait, really? What do you possibly need flowers for?”

“I was hoping,” Gabriel started, ignoring her question. He was going to have to answer her eventually, but he was avoiding the idea right now. “That you could give me a family discount.”

“Depends what you’re getting. Some of these are really expensive. We just got out of winter, so it’s harder to get something exotic.”

“Nothing too fancy, I promise.”

“I’ll strike you a deal, brother mine.”

“Oh boy.” Gabriel bit his lip. Anna liked to strike deals, and despite the fact that he was known as the trickster of the family, she always managed to pull a fast one on him. And she did it completely fair and square too, which was the worst part.

“You tell me all about _who_ these flowers are going to, and I’ll give ‘em to you for half off.”

“Oh god, Anna, why does it matter?”

“It matters because you might finally be actually pursuing someone, is why.”

“Anna.” Gabriel rolled his eyes so far back in his head he might have actually seen his own denial. Just because Sam was _hot_ didn’t have to mean-

“Come on, there’s no one around, I’m about to go on lunch break anyway, you have to tell me!”

“Alright, fine. Won’t you feel disappointed when they’re for some nice old lady who’s retiring from my department.”

“Are they?”

Gabriel scuffs his foot through the thin layer of dirt on the floor in front of the counter. “No.”

Anna took his quiet answer as a chance to come out from behind the counter and sit on the wooden bench nearby. “Tell me the details, Gabe.”

“They’re just for this guy who moved in down the hall from me, okay? I want to welcome him to the building.”

“With a bouquet?”

“You can’t tell me I’m the first client welcoming in a new neighbor with a bouquet,” Gabriel snapped, but he sank down onto the bench next to her, resigning himself to the fifth degree.

“But you doing it is new. Have you two talked already?”

“A few times, yeah. He’s shy, but the first time I saw him get passionate about something, it was flowers. Feels like a bouquet would be a nice gesture.”

“You going to ask him out?” Anna has a devious light in her eyes that Gabriel recognizes as his own. Their other sibling, Balthazar, shared the same quality, and Gabriel liked to think that they’d all learned it from him. Being on the other end of it though, was something he never quite got used to.

“Hey, I tried inviting him back to my place with clear intentions that I wanted him in bed. He wasn’t digging it.”

Anna rolled her eyes.“I said ask him out, not ask him to get down and dirty with you.” 

“Aw, come on, you know I don’t do the whole romance thing.”

“And I’m saying it’s not healthy. You already told me you’re not aromantic-”

“I told you labels are for nerds is what I told you.” Gabriel sighed. The wooden slats of the bench pressed into his back as he leaned against them more heavily. He’d always thought the upside to a smaller family was never getting the “when are you getting married?” speech, but apparently Anna had taken it upon herself to fulfill that role in his life. “Look, maybe it’ll happen, maybe it won’t. Just cause I want a relationship someday doesn’t mean I’m about to chase everyone who crosses my path. Besides, Sam’s straight. And way out of my league,” he added grumpily.

“Sam!” Anna said triumphantly. “Mystery love interest has a name. What else is he into?”

“You haven’t listened to a word I said,” Gabriel said accusingly. Some small piece of him, however, desperately wanted to talk about Sam. He needed someone who he could tell all about how precious Sam was, someone who he could trust not to judge him too harshly. He was sure most of his friends would tease him about it for ages.

Anna leaned against him playfully. “I listened to the word ‘Sam’, didn’t I?”

“He’s really sweet. And like I said, he was pretty shy at first, but the second I got him talking about flowers…” Gabriel trailed off. “He lit up, Anna.”

“This definitely sounds like a crush, bro.”

“Stop needling. Anyway, he’s got this big golden retriever and he loves him to pieces. He held Sylvie and I’ve never seen anyone be so gentle with her. _And_ he liked my couch.”

Anna wrinkled her freckled nose in disgust. “Oh my god, I was gonna tell you to send him my way if he didn’t swing yours. But liking that couch is a dealbreaker.”

“It’s unique!” Gabriel protested.

“It’s awful. Do you want me to send some equally awful flowers? Because I don’t think I can help you.”

“No, I don’t.” Gabriel slumped on the bench. “I don’t want anything too fancy. I just want to welcome him to the city, y’know, give him something to decorate the place with. It’s still kind of empty looking.”

“Some of us like to call it ‘minimalist’,” Anna replied lightly. She stood up and wandered towards the backroom, picking up a large metal shears as she walked. “I’ll pull something together for him. He doesn’t have allergies or anything, does he?”

“Nah, he’s an outdoorsy type.” Gabriel stood too. “And from the sound of it, there’s not a flower he doesn’t like.” He slipped behind the counter, and opened the register to drop a twenty in. The soft ping it made was all too familiar, taking him back to the many weekends when he would mind the register while Anna arranged so many flowers it made his head spin. That had been before she’d hired Alfie, though, and it had been several months since she’d needed his help.

“Red roses?” Anna asked teasingly.

“Don’t you dare. He’s a flower geek, he’d know what it meant.”

Anna dropped her shears to the floor with a clang. “Oh my god, Gabriel, I think you may have found my soul mate.”

“What about the couch?”

“He speaks my language.”

“Yeah, and did I mention he has longer hair than I do?” Gabriel closed the register and leaned against the counter. “You hate that.”

“Why so discouraging, bro? I mean, if you’re not into him…” Anna picked the shears back up, then after a moment’s contemplation, selected a cut lavender rose from the racks of flowers and snipped off the bottom of the stem.

“I don’t like him, Anna. I never said I didn’t want first dibs on banging him.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sending flowers before asking someone to fuck you senseless. A true modern love story.”

* * *

 

By the time Sam knocked on Gabriel’s door a few days later, holding a bouquet, Gabriel had almost forgotten about the flowers. Sam’s arrangement was composed of a few lavender roses and a whole bunch of a small yellow flowers with deep red centers, and Sam’s smile was brighter than Gabriel had ever seen it.

“I need to show you what someone sent me at work, hope you don’t mind,” Sam offered as an explanation as he walked into Gabriel’s place uninvited. “Just look at them, Gabriel!”

“Oh, those are nice,” Gabriel agreed. “I wouldn’t think of putting together the purple with those warmer colors, but I like it.”

“That’s not even the best part,” Sam hummed happily. “They’re pretty but there’s more.” He turned the bouquet in Gabriel’s direction so he could see the tag loosely tied onto the ribbon; the bright red-orange with dark bronze scrollwork stood out against the greenery, displaying the words “Anna’s Floral”. Sam held it out, orange side down, and written on the back in loose, floaty handwriting was _“Nice to meet you.”_

“No signature,” Sam pointed out.

“Yeah?”

“So I have a secret admirer,” Sam said softly, looking both a little excited and a little overwhelmed.

Gabriel frowned. This was definitely not the direction he’d wanted the whole bouquet thing to go. He’d expected Sam to casually mention the flowers the next time they met up, and Gabriel could casually mention that he’d sent them, and Sam was really not supposed to read them as this strong of a romantic intention. “How do you know it’s a secret admirer?”

“Who else could it be? Besides-” Sam’s big fingertips stopped their gentle brushes over one of the lavender petals. “You don’t know anything about floriography, do you?”

Gabriel thought for a moment. “Drawing flowers? No.”

Sam let out a breath of laughter. “It means flower language, and it’s been used as a code for all kinds of things for thousands of years. Basically, individual flowers and plants have meanings ascribed to them, so you could send a message just with a bouquet.”

“Holy shit, that sounds incredible.”

“It really is,” Sam nodded eagerly. “I’ve been studying it for a long time, and you could send some really complex messages with different herbs and stuff. There was a huge amount of lore built up, especially in the Victorian era. The more common ones just mean different variations of love, but you could also tell someone when to meet you, where, and that you were being watched just with a bundle of herbs.”

“Okay, so you’re telling me this combination means ‘secret admirer’?” Gabriel asked. He was going to kill Anna for this one. 

“Not quite. Florists don’t use it for ordinary bouquets, but the unusual combination tells me these weren’t picked at random, they were probably a special request from the sender. The lack of signature says they’re a little shy.”

Sam paused and traced the edge of one of the yellow flowers with his fingertip again. “And both of these flowers mean ‘love at first sight’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls yell at me about this story in the comments or at aleatoryw.tumblr.com, nothing fuels me quite like the shrieks of the emotionally affected.


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